How to Make Your Home Safe For a Young Child


by Stewart Wrighter - Date: 2010-11-15 - Word Count: 540 Share This!

New parents often spend weeks preparing their home for the arrival of their new baby. While there is little your child can get into before they begin crawling, once they are free to move about the house, there is no end to the dangers that lie in front of them. If you are welcoming a new baby into your home, there are a variety of things that must be done to make your home a safer environment that will reduce risks of cuts and bruises, as well as worse injuries. One of the most important parts of your home in which your child will need protection is the exterior. You can make a space a lot safer with a CT fence or Connecticut fence. This is especially important if you have a pool in your yard or if you live near a busy street. If you want to keep your child enclosed in an outdoor area it is important to build a strong barrier that will keep them safe.

If you have stairs in your home, you will need to find a way of blocking these to prevent unfortunate tumbles. Gates placed at the top and bottom of the staircase should be enough to prevent curious climbers from trying to navigate the dangerous pathways. Make sure the gates are installed securely. While they may be a nuisance to the adults in the home, they will make a world of difference in protecting your child from dangerous falls.

Be sure that any shelving or cabinets you have in your home are fastened to the walls which they stand up against. If you have shelves standing freely in rooms, you may want to consider rearranging the furniture until your child is old enough. Little kids may pull on the shelves in an effort to stand when learning to walk or they may attempt to climb on the shelving as they grow. Both of these actions can create a situation in which the shelf is pulled forward, creating an extremely dangerous situation. Another reason to fasten shelves to the walls regardless of the ages of your children is to prevent collapse during earthquakes. If the furniture is fastened to the wall, it will not be jostled during natural disasters.

The kitchen is one of the most dangerous places for a curious young child, so spend a great deal of time baby proofing this room in your home. Be sure if your child can get into lower cabinets there is nothing in them that can pose a danger. A few pots and pans and plastic storage containers pose little risk to tiny exploring bodies. Once your child is older, or while they are elevated in a high chair, be sure they are not within reach of pots on the stove. Turn the handles backward so grabbing hands will not be able to reach. Also remember that the oven may be an inviting handle on which to pull oneself up when trying to stand. Do not leave your child sitting on the kitchen floor unattended if your oven is on.

Finally, be sure to lock up cabinets, pantries, and drawers that contain dangerous substances. Anything that houses medication or cleaning materials should be locked and secured from prying hands.


Stewart Wrighter has recently worked with a Connecticut fence company. He and his wife decided to have a CT fence installed around the backyard.n
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